Duo to open clothing consignment store

When the two women open Bailey's Boutique, a clothing consignment store in Tonganoxie later this month, they want their merchandise to be in tip-top shape.

"We scrutinize every item and if there's a spot on it or a button missing, we'll give it back," said Womack.

Womack lives in Piper and works as an office manager for a law firm in Kansas City, Mo.

"I'm starting in the early stages of retirement, so I was looking for a new career," Womack said.

So, she and her daughter-in-law, Dawn Bailey, Bonner Springs, decided to open a consignment store for women's and children's clothing.

They selected Tonganoxie, Womack said, because it appeared to be a growing town.

"And we like the atmosphere of downtown," Bailey added.

Their shop, at 616 East Fourth, has been filling for several weeks with "gently used" clothing, in all sizes from infants through women's, including shoes and accessories.

Also, the women plan to sell new clothing, buying from shops that are going out of business.

"Our goal is to have half new and half used items," Womack said. "The labels with the original prices will be on them."

But, she added, buyers at the consignment shop will pay half of the new-label price.

Through a fluke, the women are opening their business with merchandise from a boutique in Prairie Village that has gone out of business.

"I was talking to my insurance agent and a friend of his worked for a bank carrying a loan on a company that's going out of business," Bailey said.

The women described that particular batch of merchandise as high quality and said that some of the women's suits carried original price tags of $800 and $900.

"So, it's going to give us some good quality things for some shoppers that are going to want to buy something a little more upscale," Bailey said.

The women also plan to carry scarves, purses and jewelry, new and used. And in the future, they hope to be able to sell "baby gift baskets" and Afghans for infants. Also, they plan to sell new hosiery.

The shop will be open from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. weekdays, and 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., Saturdays.